In-vivo Immunomodulatory Activities of Essential Oils of Artemisia abyssinica and Lepidium sativum in Mice

Ethiopians use as immunity enhancers. However, there is no scientific validation conducted so far regarding this claim. The aim of this study was to investigate the in-vivo immunomodulatory activities of essential oils of in mice. The extraction was carried out using the earlier techniques. By hydro distilling fresh seeds and aerial portions of and , respectively, essential oils were obtained. Essential oils of both plants were tested at 100, 200 and 400 mg/kg. The rate of carbon clearance, humoral antibody titer, delayed type hypersensitivity response, spleen and thymus indices were evaluated in mice according to scientific protocols. The carbon clearance assay was determined using carbon ink. Sheep red blood cell was used as an antigen for other tests. Essential oils of and at 400 mg/kg significantly increased the rate of carbon clearance from the body of mice (